DENVER -- Jon Gray put his fastball to work early and often to go deep into the game.
Gray matched a season high by pitching seven strong innings, Pat Valaika homered and the Colorado Rockies rode a big early lead to an 8-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night.
Gray said his game plan was to "just go after the guys and really establish the fastball early, move it in and out, up and down, try to get quick outs."
The approach served Gray (4-2) well. He allowed six hits and struck out four, giving the Rockies a quality start the night after they had to lean on their bullpen when starter Kyle Freeland was forced to leave in the first inning because of a left groin strain.
"The bullpen did a great job (Friday) but they were a little taxed, so for him to go seven innings was huge," Valaika said.
Manager Bud Black added: "That was critical. That was significant that he went seven."
Gerardo Parra added three hits and two RBI for the Rockies who won for the fourth time in five games.
Daniel Nava homered, tripled and singled for the Phillies, who fell to 0-5 on their eight-game road trip.
Trailing by seven runs, the Phillies got a three-run homer from Nava in the eighth inning off reliever Zac Rosscup, pulling within 8-4.
Pat Neshek finished up, allowing an RBI single by Freddy Galvis in the ninth in his first appearance against his former team since the Rockies acquired him in a July 26 trade.
The Rockies batted around in the first inning and Nick Pivetta (4-7) did himself no favors by walking leadoff man Charlie Blackmon, and then hitting D.J. LeMahieu with a pitch before Nolan Arenado singled to load the bases. Parra followed with another single and Pivetta trailed 2-0 before recording an out.
A fielding error by first baseman Tommy Joseph opened the door to two unearned runs during the Rockies' five-run first which also included a sacrifice fly by Jonathan Lucroy and an RBI single by Valaika.
"I didn't make pitches at all tonight," Pivetta said. "It's clear I left balls in the middle (of the plate). When you're in Colorado and facing a lineup like that, the way they are going right now, it's not going to be good. The only thing I can do is learn from it, go forward from it and try to find that consistency."
Colorado pulled in front 8-0, tacking on three more runs in the third when Valaika hit a two-run homer and Carlos Gonzalez had a sacrifice fly.
Philadelphia's first run didn't come until the fourth on Nick Williams'double-play grounder.
The Phillies loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth but first baseman Mark Reynolds made a diving catch of Galvis' liner to end the threat.
Pivetta allowed eight runs -- six earned -- in 2 2/3 innings.
STRIKE ZONE
Mark Leiter Jr. turned in an outstanding relief effort for the Phillies, pitching 4 1/3 innings and striking out a career-high nine. He became the sixth reliever in major league history to register nine strikeouts without allowing a run or walk and the first since Bruce Ruffin did it for the Rockies against the Houston Astros on Sept. 14, 1993. "He pitched like a 10-year veteran tonight," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He put on a clinic for every pitcher in baseball, it was really fun to watch."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Phillies: OF Aaron Altherr was placed on the 10-day disabled list after leaving Friday night's game in the eighth inning with a strained right hamstring. ... OF Cameron Perkins was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill his roster spot.
Rockies: Freeland has been placed on the 10-day disabled list with the left groin strain. ... INF-OF Ian Desmond, sidelined with a right calf strain since July 28, did light conditioning work in the field and took swings in the batting cage. The developments are encouraging but there's still no timetable for his return, Black said.
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Aaron Nola (8-7, 3.16 ERA) has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last eight starts, going 5-2 in that span.
Rockies: Rookie RHP Jeff Hoffman (6-3, 5.58 ERA) is slated to make his second career start against the Phillies. He beat the Phillies the first time he faced them May 22 at Citizen's Bank Park, going seven innings and allowing one run and three hits.




Final
Series: Game 2 of 3

Phillies 5

(39-69, 16-41 away)

Rockies 8

(64-47, 35-20 home)






8:10PM,EDT,August 5,2017
Coors Field, Denver,Colorado 

123456789 R H E
PHI 000100031 5 12 1
COL 50300000 - 8 10 0
W: J. Gray (4-2)
L: N. Pivetta (4-7)





View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-PitchInning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Philadelphia - Top of 1stSCORE
Jon Gray pitching for ColoradoPHICOL
Hernández grounded out to second.00
Galvis flied out to left.00
Nava grounded out to first.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 1stSCORE
Nick Pivetta pitching for PhiladelphiaPHICOL
Blackmon walked.00
LeMahieu hit by pitch, Blackmon to second.00
Arenado singled to left, Blackmon to third, LeMahieu to second.00
Parra singled to center, Blackmon and LeMahieu scored, Arenado to third.02
Reynolds grounded into fielder's choice to third, Arenado scored, Parra out at second.03
González grounded into fielder's choice to right, Reynolds safe at third on error by first baseman Joseph.03
Lucroy hit sacrifice fly to left, Reynolds scored.04
Valaika singled to right, González scored.05
Gray struck out swinging.05
5 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Errors
Philadelphia - Top of 2ndSCORE
Jon Gray pitching for ColoradoPHICOL
Williams lined out to center.05
Joseph fouled out to first.05
Herrera grounded out to catcher.05
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 2ndSCORE
Nick Pivetta pitching for PhiladelphiaPHICOL
Blackmon singled to center.05
LeMahieu grounded into double play, third to second to first, Blackmon out at second.05
Arenado popped out to shortstop.05
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Philadelphia - Top of 3rdSCORE
Jon Gray pitching for ColoradoPHICOL
Franco grounded out to second.05
J Alfaro singled to center.05
Pivetta struck out swinging.05
Hernández lined out to center.05
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 3rdSCORE
Nick Pivetta pitching for PhiladelphiaPHICOL
Parra doubled to deep left.05
Reynolds singled to right, Parra to third.05
González hit sacrifice fly to center, Parra scored.06
Lucroy lined out to right.06
Valaika homered to left (407 feet), Reynolds scored.08
Leiter Jr. relieved Pivetta.08
Gray struck out swinging.08
3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors
Philadelphia - Top of 4thSCORE
Jon Gray pitching for ColoradoPHICOL
Galvis reached on infield single to second.08
Nava singled to right, Galvis to third.08
Williams grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, Galvis scored, Nava out at second.18
Joseph grounded out to second.18
1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 4thSCORE
Mark Leiter Jr. pitching for PhiladelphiaPHICOL
Blackmon struck out swinging.18
LeMahieu struck out swinging.18
Arenado struck out swinging.18
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Philadelphia - Top of 5thSCORE
Jon Gray pitching for ColoradoPHICOL
Herrera grounded out to shortstop.18
Franco singled to center.18
J Alfaro singled to center, Franco to second.18
Leiter Jr. grounded out to catcher, Franco to third, J Alfaro to second.18
Hernández walked.18
Galvis lined out to first.18
0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 5thSCORE
Mark Leiter Jr. pitching for PhiladelphiaPHICOL
Parra grounded out to third.18
Reynolds grounded out to first.18
González struck out looking.18
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Philadelphia - Top of 6thSCORE
Jon Gray pitching for ColoradoPHICOL
Nava tripled to deep center.18
Williams struck out looking.18
Joseph popped out to second.18
Herrera popped out to shortstop.18
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 6thSCORE
Mark Leiter Jr. pitching for PhiladelphiaPHICOL
Lucroy grounded out to third.18
Valaika struck out swinging.18
Gray singled to left.18
Blackmon struck out swinging.18
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Philadelphia - Top of 7thSCORE
Jon Gray pitching for ColoradoPHICOL
Franco struck out swinging.18
J Alfaro struck out looking.18
Leiter Jr. grounded out to first.18
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 7thSCORE
Mark Leiter Jr. pitching for PhiladelphiaPHICOL
LeMahieu grounded out to second.18
Arenado struck out swinging.18
Parra singled to left.18
Reynolds struck out swinging.18
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Philadelphia - Top of 8thSCORE
Zac Rosscup pitching for ColoradoPHICOL
Rosscup relieved Gray.18
Hernández singled to center.18
Galvis singled to center, Hernández to second.18
Nava homered to center (424 feet), Hernández and Galvis scored.48
Williams struck out swinging.48
Ottavino relieved Rosscup.48
Joseph flied out to left.48
Herrera singled to center.48
Franco struck out swinging.48
3 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 8thSCORE
Hector Neris pitching for PhiladelphiaPHICOL
Blanco at third base.48
Neris relieved Leiter Jr..48
González doubled to deep left.48
Lucroy lined out to right, González to third.48
Valaika popped out to first.48
Amarista hit for Ottavino.48
Amarista walked.48
Blackmon walked, Amarista to second.48
LeMahieu struck out swinging.48
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Philadelphia - Top of 9thSCORE
Pat Neshek pitching for ColoradoPHICOL
Neshek relieved Ottavino.48
J Alfaro grounded out to second.48
Blanco singled to right.48
Hernández struck out swinging.48
Blanco to second on fielder's indifference.48
Galvis singled to left, Blanco scored.58
Nava flied out to left.58
1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors





Philadelphia Phillies
HittersABRHRBIBBSO#PAVGOBPSLG
Hernández 2B41101118.294.360.419
Galvis SS52310015.255.306.412
Nava RF51330013.311.402.441
Williams LF40000210.300.336.555
Joseph 1B40000011.250.307.441
Herrera CF40100014.277.320.443
Franco 3B40100216.227.283.399
0000000.000.000.000
J Alfaro C40200113.500.500.500
Pivetta P1000017.067.067.067
2000008.111.111.111
Blanco 3B
1110002.160.239.217
Totals38512417127   
BATTING
3B: Nava (1, Gray)
HR: Nava (4, 8th inning off Rosscup 2 on, 0 Out)
RBI: Nava 3 (20), Galvis (47)
2-out RBI: Galvis
GIDP: Williams
Phillies RISP: 2-8 (Williams 0-2, Herrera 0-1, Leiter Jr. 0-1, Galvis 1-2, Nava 1-1, Joseph 0-1)
Team LOB: 7
FIELDING
E: Joseph (7, ground ball)
DP: 1 (Franco-Hernández-Joseph).

Game Information

StadiumCoors Field, Denver, CO
Attendance40,563 (80.5% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time2:53
Weather79 degrees, partly cloudy
Wind9 mph
UmpiresHome Plate - Chris Guccione, First Base - Carlos Torres, Second Base - Dana DeMuth, Third Base - Paul Nauert